Executive Order Rescinds Directive for Washington State Initiative 200 (I-200)

Inslee updates decades-old affirmative action guidance to better achieve equity in hiring, education and contracting. Instead, the directive was overly restrictive.

On January 17th, Gov. Jay Inslee signed an executive order that rescinds Directive 98–01, a 23-year-old document that was supposed to provide agencies with instructions on how to implement Initiative 200 (I-200) on affirmative action.

The governor announced earlier this month his intention to rescind the outdated directive and today’s replacement executive order that will instruct agencies on how to move forward with achieving equity while still complying with I-200. The executive order provides agencies with new instructions, which marks our commitment to the work to identify, document, and eradicate discrimination and disparities in all forms, for the benefit of all Washingtonians.

The rescission of Directive 98-01 does not alter other state and federal legal requirements related to affirmative action. Agencies are required to consult with the Office of the Attorney General on how to comply with this directive and applicable laws.

Source: Gov. Jay Inslee’s Medium page

Read the rest of the story on the governor’s Medium page.